Linebacker Derrick Johnson finding his voice in...

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson smiles during a news conference following an NFL football game against the New York Jets in Kansas City, Mo. Players such ... more

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2016, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson smiles during a news conference following an NFL football game against the New York Jets in Kansas City, Mo. Players such as Johnson, who is entering his 13th season, are about as rare as the I-formation in an era when the NFL Players Association reports the average career lasts just over three years. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File) less

Photo: Ed Zurga / Associated Press

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Middle linebacker Derrick Johnson, who played 13 seasons with the Chiefs, is getting up to speed quickly with the Raiders “so I can put my own flavor into making plays in this defense.”

Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

As a middle linebacker, Derrick Johnson is used to being one of the more talkative players on defense, calling out signals and directing teammates. During his first week with the Raiders, though, Johnson found he could hardly communicate on the field.

Johnson, 35, played 13 seasons in Kansas City, and rarely sees a coverage or blitz he doesn’t recognize. It’s just that in Oakland, there’s a different keyword for each one.

“It’s learning a new language,” Johnson said Tuesday.

For that first week, after the Raiders signed him May 4, Johnson couldn’t bark out a lot of instructions because he was still translating terminology in his head. It was odd for a player who considers himself “a quarterback on the field.” But after a month with Oakland, Johnson said, he’s becoming more fluent.

“It’s slowing down for me, man,” Johnson said, “and that’s a good feeling.”

It’s just as important for the Raiders, who acquired Johnson shortly after he was released by Kansas City to be the on-field orchestrator of coordinator Paul Guenther’s defense. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Johnson left as the Chiefs’ all-time leading tackler but amid questions of what he still offers, given his age and two Achilles injuries in the past four years.

Head coach Jon Gruden said he valued Johnson’s “status at a critical position.” Guenther said Tuesday he has been impressed by Johnson’s early grasp of the scheme.

“He’s picked it up real quick,” Guenther said. “He’s able to get us in and out of defenses. The guy’s been here, what, two, three weeks now, and he’s able to really understand what we’re able to get to. So to have a veteran piece that can kind of control the show out there is a big, important part for me.”

In Guenther’s four seasons as coordinator in Cincinnati, his defenses were known for being aggressive and using different fronts to disguise coverages and pressures. The Bengals ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in points allowed twice (second in 2015, eighth in 2016) and were top five in interceptions and opponents’ passer rating from 2014 through ’16.

Johnson said the process with his new team gets even more complex when pitted in practice against Gruden’s offense, which employs its own shifts and motions. Johnson still likes what he sees from the defense.

“It’s very aggressive, so many different looks,” Johnson said. “The onus is really on the linebackers to learn a lot of stuff. That’s good for myself, because I know a lot. But it’s putting a lot of pressure on me to learn it quickly, so I can put my own flavor into making plays in this defense.”

As he and others absorb Guenther’s system, Johnson said the addition of experienced players to the defense has been valuable. Some, like cornerback Leon Hall and re-signed safety Reggie Nelson, played for Guenther in Cincinnati.

Fellow linebackers Tahir Whitehead and Emmanuel Lamur have played in other defenses and, Johnson said, “are out there talking more than me.”

That last part, of course, is subject to change.

“My abilities come out when I know what’s going on,” Johnson said. “I have to gear down, not rush it, but … make sure I have Paul Guenther’s defense really down so I can start moving some pieces here and there or start helping some guys out if they’re iffy on some things.

“That’s not a bad pressure. That’s a positive pressure for me. This is what I’ve been doing for a long time in K.C. I’m used to telling different guys what to do.”